


Coxswain is the word

by deaddoh



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Rowing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-31 12:41:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18591475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deaddoh/pseuds/deaddoh
Summary: After his little research adventure he stumbled upon a skinny and extremely pale rower, who managed to avoid the sun like he was a vampire. His name is Jack in the roster...





	Coxswain is the word

Mark sighs, hearing the leaves above him sway with the gentle breeze. He takes a swig from his water bottle and looks up to the channel, seeing a thin boat slide to a stop. There’s nine people total, but eight have oars. He takes another swig from his water bottle, “Good job with the piece. But bow needs to work on catching with stern. I know some of you are probably rusty, but we have a race this weekend.” The hunched over person says, his voice somehow echoing louder than normal.

 

|+|

 

Mark shuts his dorm room door, toweling his hair. “How was your run?” Tyler, Mark’s roommate asks, not even looking up from his computer. “Do you know what those little thin boats are?” Mark asks, falling onto his bed and pulling out his laptop. “The crew shells?” Tyler says, looking up with quirked eyebrows. Mark shrugs, pulling up the University of California’s athletics page. “I guess?”

 

Tyler rolls his eyes, “What about them?” Mark types _crew_ into the search bar and is hit with quite a few hot guys as the result. “I don’t know. I saw them on my run. The hunched over person in the front of the boat was talking to the rest of the guys and saying a buncha’ stuff.”

 

Tyler nods, “Yeah, that the coxswain.”

 

Mark’s eyebrows shoot up, “Cock son?” Tyler laughs, “No, no. Not Cock son. Coxswain. They both steer the boat and direct the rowers. “Oh.”

 

|+|

 

At five-thirty in the morning, Mark wipes his brow. Finally arriving to the boathouse to see the crew in person. After his little research adventure he stumbled upon a skinny and extremely pale rower, who managed to avoid the sun like he was a vampire. His name is _Jack_ in the roster, no last name.

 

Suddenly, “And up to waist, ready up.”

 

The sound of something being lifted, some groaning. “Ok, watch your riggers.”  _[Riggers?](http://www.usrowing.org/rowing-101/)_

 

“Now, up to shoulders. Ready, up.” The sound of more shifting. “Seriously! I’m the tallest one here and you guys still can’t reach me?” Someone says in a teasing voice.

 

The other men begin to talk back, throwing empty insults. “Ok! Ok. Quiet down and walk her out.”

 

Mark’s eyebrows raise as a the boat comes out of the boathouse, being carried by eight tall guys. “Who are you? A newbie?”

 

Mark looks over, the voice from earlier giving the commands. “Oh. Umm…”

 

The guy looks confused, and so do the rest of the guys holding the boat. “No. I’m not a newbie.”

 

“So why are you here?”

 

“Just stopping on my new morning route.”

 

The guys raises his eyebrows, looking back the rest of the guys. Mark looks back to them too and see Jack at the front of the boat. He’s easily a handful of inches taller than the rest of the guys. “If you’re sure. We could always use more.”

 

Mark shrugs and the guys continue down to the docks.

 

|+|

 

“So you saw who again?” Gab asks, mouth full of salad. “Mark. You know, the hot soccer player and the genius mechanical engineer.” Jack says, looking wide eyed and excited. Gab finishes chewing, “So why not talk to him?”

 

Jack sighs, “I can’t. I don’t know how to start.” Gab raises an eyebrow.

 

“Jack, we’re in college. Not high school. You’re technically an adult.”

 

“Ugh I _know_ but that doesn’t help with my incompetence.” Jack’s attention is suddenly drawn to the door over Gab’s shoulder. She turns around and sees Mark and a couple other guys walk in, chatting and laughing. The two watch Mark and his friends take a table near them, Jack looks ecstatic.

 

Gab rolls her eyes, “Go talk to him.”

 

“But what if he’s straight?”

 

“He’s not.”

 

Jack looks over, puzzled, “How do you know?”

 

“His friend Amy told me in our film studies class.”

 

“Well how does she know?”

 

Gab rolls her eyes again, “She was his ex in high school.”

 

“Oof.”

 

“Yeah. But they’re all good.”

 

Jack looks back over to Mark and his friends, trying to figure out the rest of the guys. “Still. I’ll wait a little longer.”

 

|+|

 

Jack groans, turning off his alarm. He basically rolls out of bed, feet barely catching him from tumbling onto the floor. He lazily pulls on a shirt and leggings before leaving for the boathouse. On his way there, Jack makes sure to walk by Mark’s dorm.

 

|+|

 

Jack is about two hundred feet from the boathouse and about to lose hope when he hears the sound of running (more like jogging). He turns and sees Mark jogging his way over, moving aside to give him room. Jack is surprised that Mark stops jogging and walks next to him. “Hey, I’m Mark. Sorry for the weird interaction with your…”

 

“Coxswain.” Jack fills in.

 

“Right. But yeah, that was a bit weird of me.” Mark says, sounding apologetic.

 

Jack shakes his head, “Nah, it’s ok.”

 

“I’ve just never seen crew before.”

 

Jack stops in his tracks like a record scratch in a movie, startling Mark. “Seriously?”

 

Mark rubs the back of his neck, “Yeah. I’m from a landlocked state.”

 

Jack hums, “Yeah. That would make sense.”

 

“So what’s it like? Being out on the water like that?” Mark asks, seeming genuinely interested as they continue walking.

 

“Well, it’s amazing. At least to me. You’re so connected with the boat, the water, and the other rowers.”

 

Mark nods, seeing the passion in Jack’s eyes and hand gestures.

 

They’re about fifty feet from the boathouse when Jack’s coxswain pokes his head from the garage, “C’mon lover boy! It’s time to go out on the water!”

Jack’s face reddens and Mark laughs. “You can go on. Listen to your… ummm,”

 

“Coxswain.” Jack fills in agian before running off to the boathouse.

 

|+|

 

Jack practically runs up to Gab, who’s in the middle of a conversation with someone. “Oh my God! You will not believe what happened this morning!”

 

Gab laughs, “I could probably guess.”

 

Jack looks over to the other woman, “Sorry, I’m just a bit excited.”

 

She chuckles, “Oh it’s quite alright. I’m Amy by the way.”

 

“I’m Jack.” Amy nods.

 

“He’s the one I was talking about during class.” Gab says, as Jack looks confused.

 

“Yeah I figured. Who else does crew and manages to be so pale?”

 

Gab laughs and Jack chuckles. “You really should talk to Mark.” Amy suddenly says, still smiling.

 

Jack looks surprised, “I don’t know.”

 

“See what I mean?” Gab says, glancing over at Jack.

 

Amy giggles, “Yeah.”

 

“But you really should. He’s quite enamored.” Amy adds, looking down at her smart watch.

 

“Oh by the way, Mark’s here,” she says, as the classroom door opens.

 

“Hey Ames.” Mark says before noticing Jack and another girl.

 

“Hey Mark. Do you know Jack and Gab?”

 

Mark walks over to them, “I met Jack this morning, but he didn’t tell me his name. But I haven’t met Gabby.”

 

Jack ducks his head a little, “Sorry.”

 

Mark laughs, “Oh don’t worry about it.”

 

Gab sticks her hand out, “I’m Gab. Jack’s babysitter,” she jokes, shaking Mark’s hand.

 

“I’m Mark. Jack’s walking buddy.”

 

Mark jumps up onto the same table as Amy, his weight shaking the table.

 

“So what’re we doing tonight?”

 

|+|

 

Mark finds himself a bit tipsy and clinging to Jack’s tall frame. “Jack.”

 

Jack looks down, “Yeah?”

 

The music booms, feeling the bass in his bones. “Can we sit?”

 

The lights are dim, the occasional flash of color. “Yeah.”

 

They walk over to a nearby couch and fall onto it, Mark more or less falling onto Jack. “My bad.” Mark tries to move from on top of Jack. “It’s ok. Really.” Jack amends, holding Mark’s bicep. “If you’re sure.” Mark stops moving, leaving his leg on top of Jack’s.

 

“You know, you’re pretty hot.” Jack says dumbly, looking over at Mark’s slightly red face.

 

“Which kind? Cause I’m feeling pretty warm.”

 

“Like, look wise.”

 

Mark looks surprised, “Really?” Jack nods, the music suddenly changing.

 

“You know that I’m not drunk. Just a bit tipsy.” Mark says.

 

Jack nods again, “Yeah I know. You’re speaking clearly and in complete sentences.”

 

“So why tell me that I’m hot?”

 

Jack thinks, “I guess I just wanted you to remember.”

 

Mark smiles, looking a bit dopey. “I will.”

 

They sit in silence, letting the music and people flow past them. The bass shaking the wall. The lights off.

 

“Ya know. I’ve been a bit obsessed with you recently.” Mark admits, looking down at his hands.

 

“How so?”

 

“Since I saw a crew boat on the channel a few days ago, I looked up crew and I saw you.”

 

Jack blushes, “Same with me. I saw you talk with our coxswain and I was hooked.”

 

Mark smiles but doesn’t look up, “How do you know Amy?”

 

“Gab is friends with here from film studies.”

 

“Ah.” Mark looks up to Jack.

 

“Wanna kiss?” Jack asks, feeling exposed in Mark’s gaze.

 

Mark smiles, “Definitely.”

**Author's Note:**

> this college AU is based in University of California


End file.
